Of Maine and Muggins
by Syduction
Summary: Based on Austin by Blake Shelton./ Or in which Austin needs to clear his mind and leaves a heartbroken Ally in his wake. Nearly a year later, he calls her. Three-shot
1. Chapter 1

**This is loosely based on _Austin_ by Blake Shelton, hence the title.**

 **I do not own Austin & Ally.**

 **Warning: _UNEDITED_**

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She rose from her sunlight drenched covers and stretched. After glancing around the room, (and nearly blinding herself from the sun shining through the window) she noticed that something felt _off_. In her sleepy stage, she wasn't sure what was wrong or if it was just her morning nerves kicking in. She had a number of irrational fears that enjoyed poking their heads out at the most ungodly hours of the night and early ones of the morning. Not having enough energy to overthink anything, and seeing that she just woke up, she brushed off the prior and decided it was probably the latter. To save her the trouble, she went with it without giving the thought a second glance. Moving slightly slower than a sloth, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and dragged her body down the stairs in search of something that would increase her mood by a million. Food.

She munched slowly on her soggy muffin. They never turned out right for her. They were too wet or too dry, never in-between. The uneasy feeling she woke with somewhat ceased, but she would be lying if she said it went away completely. Shrugging it off, she climbed the stairs to start her day, but really she was going to lie across her bed checking Tweeter until she got the motivation to get back up again.

On the other side of the town, a blonde male who knew the uneasy girl was also waking up. He did not have a bad feeling about today like the brunette that started her day before him. He was causing the bad feeling. Today was the day he was leaving. Without a trace. He planned on going sometime before lunch and not leaving a note or voicemail or text. Absolutely nothing.

He had been planning this for months. He talked endlessly about it, but he knew no one thought he would actually fall through with it. It had taken quite a bit of thought, which was something he wasn't used to. But something like this needed a lot of thinking and consideration. One could not make a decision that would be regretted later on down the road. He thought about it for a good six months and spent the last four planning it. A lot of things went into his verdict, but he surpassed all the guilt he would feel leaving her like this. This was probably the most he had ever thought in his life, and the second most difficult thing he would do. The first would be actually doing it. But he had to do it.

He missed his old life. Sure, Miami was great and all, but Maine was where he belonged. He could feel it. They moved when he was fourteen. He had friends and a life and a town. But he had to leave all of those behind when his father made them move. Now, with him being nearly twenty-one, he was of age to move to where ever he so chooses. And like he had planned, he was gone by noon.

It took her three and a half days and an hour-long lunch with Mike and Mimi to come to the conclusion that he had actually left. He left Miami, he left his parents, and he left her. She didn't think he had it in him, but apparently she was very wrong. Because now, there she was on her couch, surrounded by a million and two tissues, half melted ice cream, and five Nicholas Sparks movies. While digging through the kitchen, she saw the immediate pain reliever, known as vodka, but her better judgment won. She would not follow in the footsteps of her father. The night continued on and so did her continuous Nicholas Sparks marathon. She fell asleep as the credits of The Notebook cascaded down the screen.

The house was dark when she woke up. The TV had somehow shut itself off and a blanket was magically placed over her. Whoever the intruder was (she later learned it was Trish) left the – now – melted ice cream on the table and the tissue mess as she left it. Groaning slightly, she hauled herself up from the couch and placed the tub of ice cream in the trash along with as many tissues she could grab. Roughly five minutes later, she stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room with her arms draped around her body and staring off into space.

It was barely passed three in the morning, and she had no idea why she was up. She wandered around the empty house for a while, walking in and out of every room recalling all the memories they held. She then sprawled out attempting to try to fall asleep. But she knew that wouldn't be an easy task. Her mind was more awake than ever. There were so many unanswered questions she had regarding the blonde that left three four days prior. Even the small thought of him upset her. The wound was still very fresh and delicate. We were so in love. What happened? She thought as she drifted off into a restless night of sleep.

The boy was already starting to feel the guilt eat at him. He should not have left. It was a bad idea from the start. He knew thinking was a bad thing. If she were with him, she would scold him and then laugh at his toddler antics. But she wasn't there. She was on the other side of the country, thousands of miles away from him. God, he was so stupid, thinking Maine was home. Home was where ever she was. Of course, though, he was stuck in the North until he could make enough money to get back down to her. And he had no idea how long that would take, but he was planning on doing whatever he could to earn it.

A month after his unexplained disappearance, she met with Mimi for coffee and pastries from a new bakery that opened near their mattress store. She was doing much better than before, which was no surprise. They both had time to heal a bit since then.

"Any word from him, Mrs. Moon?" Ally spoke out after the silence was too much to bear.

"Actually, Ally, yes." Ally froze in mid sip. "He called a few nights ago saying that he needed to clear his mind. He didn't give his location or how long he would be gone. But it was from a payphone I think. I tried calling him back a few times, but different people answered every time." Ally nodded and finished her coffee and perfectly cooked muffin before placing a few dollars on the table to cover her meal and excusing herself from the outing.

Ten months passed before he had the nerve to call her. He didn't have any clue whether it would be the same number or what to say. It was a long shot to say the least. Three rings had come and gone when her recorded voice came through the other line.

"If you're calling about the piano, I already sold it. If this is Tuesday night then I'm out with the girls. If you have something to sell then you're wasting your time because I'm not buying. Sorry. If it's anyone else, wait for the dial tone, you know what to do." He heard something that sounded like a low sigh before she spoke again. "And P.S. If this is Austin, I still love you."

He abruptly hung up and dropped the phone as he slid down the wall to the floor. He couldn't believe she would hold on to someone – him – for that long. And to think, he gave up this amazing love for stupid remorse he didn't even need. All he had managed to do was cause himself pain, his parents to worry, and Ally – he didn't even want to think about what he caused her. If his pain was as bad as it was, he couldn't imagine what she went through. He knew she would think it was her fault and if she had done this or that then they'd still be together. He wanted so badly to tell her that it had nothing to do with her, but he couldn't find the strength or the courage to call her. That is, until now.

When she arrived home on Tuesday, she saw he had three missed calls. One from her mom, one from Mimi, and one from an unknown number. She called her mom and Mimi back but left the unknown one alone. It was most likely a one-eight-hundred number. _Stupid toll-free people_. She thought. After she caught up on Tweeter and her phone calls, she fell asleep peacefully. She no longer thought about his, even though her voicemail proved otherwise. She did love him still, absolutely, but she stopped letting him hurt her. It only took three or four months after he left for her to come to terms with it and stop blaming herself.

He called once more on Friday. This time, he really had no idea what he would say, but at least he knew it was her number. That was a plus. Like last time, three rings came first, then Ally's prerecorded voice.

"If it's Friday night, I'm at the karaoke bar. And first thing on Saturday, if it doesn't rain, I'll be at the beach with the girls. We'll be gone all weekend long. But I'll call you back when I come home on Sunday, probably in the afternoon." She paused again, seeming unsure if she should say it again. Another sigh went through after a long pause. "And P.S. If this is Austin, I still love you."

This time, he knew what he was doing. He left his number, but nothing else. Saturday came and went. By the time Sunday afternoon rolled around, he thought he would die of anticipation. This had been the longest weekend ever, and not in a good way.

Ally was starting to lose hope that she would ever see him or even hear from him again. Mimi and she spoke on Friday about their lives. He hadn't talked to them since the last time she and Mimi had talked in that bakery. When she came home from her beach vacation, she only had one missed call and a voicemail. She listened to it and noticed how familiar the voice sounded, but she couldn't figure out whom it was. She called the number back.

He saw the phone light up and heard it ring. The loud noise he once found so obnoxious was now music to his ears. He calmed himself and picked it up on the second ring. He sighed, and then finally spoke.

"If you're calling about my heart, it's still yours." He heard a faint gasp come from the other line and couldn't bite back the smile.

"I should have listened to it a little more. Then maybe it wouldn't have taken me so long to figure out where I belong. And by the way, this isn't a machine you're talking to." By now all he could hear was faint sobs and a bit of sniffling. He was using everything in him not to cry too. He at least needed to get this last part out. Then he could cry as much as he needed to.

"If you couldn't tell, this is Austin." He paused like she had in her recording. Then he proceeded to sign just as she had. He wondered if she could tell what he was about to say.

"And I still love you." The quiet sobs he once heard were now loud and made their appearance very known. He was crying too, balling even.

"I still love you," He repeated into the phone, making sure she heard him.

"Austin." She sobbed back at him.

Then the call was disconnected.

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 **After a lot of consideration, I have decided to turn this into a three-shot. Be on the look ou for the other parts! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**I have risen from the hole I've been hiding in. Turns out, after seeing a person you write about, it's a bit strange to continue writing about them. BUT NEVER FEAR, I HAVE RETURNED! It took me about a week to get out of the funk the concert put me in and then another little bit to actually write and EDIT. I ACTUALLY EDITED THIS! (SORTA)**

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 _"I still love you," He repeated into the phone, making sure she heard him._

 _"Austin." She sobbed back at him._

 _Then the call was disconnected._

* * *

He stared blankly down at the phone. All these months of pain and he calls her, professes his love, and then she hangs up on him. He figured he deserved it considering all the hurt and pain he put her through.

She didn't know what to do. Right when all hope was about to be lost, he calls out of the blue. But after she heard his voice, she lost it. All the pain and heartache she had tried so hard to forget came rushing back. It was too much for her to handle. And to think how well she was doing. Then he had to just waltz into her life and screw up everything by bringing back all the memories she had been trying to erase completely from her life. As if that wasn't enough, he said he still loves her. Those were the four words that drove her over the edge.

If she couldn't wrap her head around the phone call, then she sure couldn't even begin to digest the news when Mimi said he was coming back. It didn't cause a quake in her life, no, it completely shattered it into nothing. _What am I going to do? I couldn't even have a conversation with the guy, how will I see him in person?_ This and a million other thoughts rushed through her head until she just collapsed from the stress.

Ally came to on a plush couch she knew the Moon's owned. Mimi was hovering over her. Not in a creepy way, just a friendly way to make sure the poor girl was still alive.

"Ally, sweetheart, are you alright?" Ally looked up at the figure above her and nodded.

It took her a few seconds to sit up, but she managed to do it and Mimi took the spot right next to her. They chatted about life and Austin and more about life. They had grown extremely close since his disappearance. Ally learned he would return in 3 days time. That was not enough time to prepare her physically, much less emotionally.

Austin stood by his terminal, debating whether or not he should buy a muffin from the stand a few feet from him. Ally and him had a lot of misfortunate issues with trying to make the fluffy treats. There were a number of occasions where the muffins got long forgotten and they ended up in his kitchen, covered in flour and egg making out. That probably explained why they stopped trying with muffins, although, they did not stop making out in the kitchen after that discussion. They did try cookies a few times, but those normally ended up the exact same way the muffins did, a big mess.

Austin smiled at the memories of them standing in the middle of the kitchen amongst various ingredients covering their bodies. He thought back to the one time where they had actually managed to make a batch that looked like cookie batter was suppose to. After they were put into the oven, though, was when things went south. The cookies got long forgotten once they started kissing. They were interrupted when the smoke detector went off. So there went yet another failed attempt at baking cute things like couples do.

His smile dropped. _Christ, what have I done?_ He looked at the clock and made a mad dash for the stand and bought two. Maybe she wouldn't kill him if he brought good muffins. They were her absolute favorite.

Ally avoided the Moon household for a full week before she found Austin at her front door. She was like a deer in headlights and couldn't move an inch. It took her a little while (and Austin repetitively waving his hand in front of her face) for her to regain herself. Reluctantly, she opened the door farther and stepped aside letting him in. He walked in like nothing had even changed. He had the same cheesy smile spread across his face, the same hair, the same cologne she oh-so-adored, the same everything. She suspected that he wanted it to seem as if nothing had changed to they could go back to normal and pick up where they left off.

They made their way to the couch and sat in silence for what seemed like forever. Both opened and then closed their mouths many times. Neither knew what to say. Ally had her legs crossed and arms folded. Her body language was shutting him out as much as she herself wanted to out of the house. Austin was on the edge with his back hunched and hands balled together in his lap. He seemed to be deep in thought. Ally jumped when he spoke first.

"You hung up on me," He told her with no emotion, making her regret her action in not even in the slightest bit. His voice was hollow as if there was never anything behind it. No love, no joy, no sadness, nothing.

"Thank you for pointing out the obvious, Captain." Ally's voice had sarcasm oozing from it, yet she still returned in a monotone.

"Why?" He glanced at her, this time holding a bit of something in his voice. She couldn't tell if it was hurt or anger or what. But it was there for sure.

"Why what?" She backed up her question by allowing a bit of emotion into her addition to the conversation, but it showed nothing of what she was actually feeling.

"Why did you end the call?" He finally looked up from where his eyes had been glued to the floor. His voice was shaky and she could hear the strong evidence of hurt in his voice.

"I had nothing to say to you-" Ally started off, attempting to make this a civil conversation with her ex-boyfriend (Was he her ex? Where they still dating? There was no actual break up…) whom she still loved.

"I told you I still loved you! How could you-?" Austin rose from his seat on the couch, fired up and ready to defend himself. Ally joined him in a standing position across the room from him. Her posture went from calm to absolutely crazy. Her civil attempt flew out the window the minute Austin opened his mouth.

"You freaking left me, Austin! For no reason! No phone calls, no texts, no nothing! The only way I knew you weren't dead was through your mother! And she was the one who had to tell me you were coming back. Couldn't you have done that yourself? I mean yeah, I probably wouldn't have answered the phone, but you had my number. You could've texted it to me!" She heaved in and took a much-needed breath. Her arms flew everywhere and Austin opened his mouth to retort something back. Ally shushed him with her icy glare and facial expression. "You hush! It's my turn to speak now. So you're going to sit there and listen to me or you are going to leave now. Got it?" Ally paused once again, awaiting him to get up and leave, but he made no such movement. She started once again, her tone changing from absolute screaming to a sarcastic laugh. "And what did you even expect me to say? 'Oh, Austin, it's okay that you took my heart and stomped on it! I'll always forgive you, Austin! Oh, I love you, Austin!' Is that what you thought I would say, huh?" She paused once more and waited for him to say something as she caught her breath yet again. When he said nothing, she took it as an opportunity to finish off the conversation. "I think you should see yourself out now. Because I'm done here." She stood with her arms folded and watched the blonde open his mouth just to close and return to his seated position instead of walking out the door. She paid him no attention as she marched up the stairs. Even though he was still in the house, she mentally smiled in victory, but her party didn't last long.

She remembered what and why she was right. Stupid feelings and emotions and love. All of it was dumb. But, despite her current hatred for it, she couldn't deny that it was one of the best feelings ever, most of the time at least. She was the kind of person who loved love in general. She adored watching couples in the mall – okay, it might have been a little weird – being all cute and adorable. Needless to say, she refused to go to the mall after Austin left unless she absolutely had to.

She heard an abrupt thud. Looking around the room, she noticed that she was the only one in the room – her bedroom - and there was no sign that someone else had been in the house but herself. There was just a small pug pawing at the door. _The heck?_ She glanced at the clock to her far right and checked the time as well as the date. Letting out a very relieved sigh, she let her mind take over as she petted the dog in front of her.

 _Oh, thank gods. I still have another day. What if things go like that, though? What if we don't become friends again? What if – chill yourself Dawson or you'll pass out again. I'm sure things will go just fine._ Or so she hoped at least.

"Come on Mugs, let's take you for a walk."

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The last night Ally had before Austin returned went relatively smooth for someone who believed she was losing what was left of her mind. She took a bath with some lavender soap and lit candles to calm her nerves. She drank warm herbal tea – something Trish said would allow her to relax more. The heat was on and electronics even surfaced their screens. It was just a relaxing, soothing evening that was rewarding herself for the day to come. Sleeping, however – more like falling asleep – was a much more difficult task.

She awoke with an abrupt start to find paws clawing at the side of the comforter, pulling it for off her body with each thrash of the tiny paws. "Muggins! Quit, you're going to rip it." She sighed and hauled her sleep-deprived body from the warm depths of her bed. Muggins trailed alongside the baggy-eyed brunette as the two made their way down the steps. Ally's alertness went from nothing to about ten million the minute she heard a crash from the foyer. Muggins was next to her, so it couldn't have been her. She grabbed the pug and held her close to her chest. She needed the element of surprise on her intruder, seeing as how tiny she was, and Muggins would ruin that completely by barking until her tiny little throat ran dry. Slowly poking her head around the corner, she saw a faint silhouette in the kitchen hunched over what looked to be a bowl that was on the floor. _The heck? Why would a robber be looking through my – wait!_

"Austin what in the heck are you doing in my kitchen?" She heard a gasp and another thud. A mumble and a string of incoherent words mushed together followed closely behind. He took a pause.

"Was I being that loud?" Austin grunted out as she heard a faint yelp and a bark. She only then noticed that Muggins had slipped through her hands in the brief state of shock that Austin, the one who disappeared on her, was in her kitchen. She finished walking down the stairs once her heart had returned back to its normal beat and her nerves were no longer pulsating through her body. _So much for a civil return…_

"Muggins, baby, come here." She patted her legs and glanced up at Austin after seeing her baby run towards her. "And yes Austin, you were being loud. Very loud." Ally paused and pursed her lips in a thin line, a sight that - had he been looking - would have terrified the blonde. "I'm going to ask again. Why are you in my kitchen?"

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 **I'm not even sure how this is going to end up. It could be a three-shot, four-shot, heck, I could turn this into a full story. That's up to you guys. Tell me in the reviews what you want this to be. A full story or a three/four-shot.**


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